Draft of Texas Budget Would Slash Spending for Colleges and Students

A legislative panel in Texas released a first pass at a state budget for the next two years Tuesday night, threatening a bleak outlook for higher education and college students. With the state facing a deep deficit, the draft budget would end funding for four community colleges (Brazosport, Frank Phillips, Odessa and Ranger Colleges), cut hundreds of millions of dollars from public universities, and slash financial aid for freshmen and new students, the Associated Press reported. Over all, funds for higher education would face a 7.6 percent cut, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.